13 Ridiculous Home Improvement Fails That Will Make You Cringe

Everyone loves saving money, but not all DIY projects are a savings in the end, as these homeowners found out the hard way.

Up on a (leaky) roof

Matthew Steger, WIN Home InspectionRenovations are stressful, especially when you have to re-do DIY projects because of mistakes. In the rooftop vent photo, the owner had expanded and remodeled their kitchen, removing an old wood stove Their mistake, according to explains Brian Fish, owner of WIN Home Inspection Mount Vernon, who had to fix the mess: “They opted to run the new exhaust for the range up through the existing vent cap from the wood stove and then attach it to the box vent and screw it to the old stove vent cap. Needless to say the new range vent was not secure or properly installed and so it was prone to leaks.” These are the secrets contractors wish all first-time homeowners knew.

Crawl space Jenga

Courtesy Brian Fish, WIN home inspection
“The homeowner, who was trying to stabilize the support beam under the house, tried to fit multiple shims in place,” says Fish. “It would be a better and safer alternative to remove the shims and use one of the larger 4×4 pieces of lumber trimmed to install one solid post for stability as opposed to five or six.” Check out the easy things you can do in a weekend to increase the value of your home.

Don’t cover me up

Courtesy Matthew Steger, WIN Home Inspection
Partially blocked vents and registers waste energy and money. “The home flipper laid new vinyl flooring in the bathroom, over the floor vent, which would prevent any hot or cold air from making its way into the room,” explains Matthew Steger, ASHI certified inspector and owner of WIN Home Inspection in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “It was apparent he wasn’t concerned if the bathroom was heated or not.” These are the sneaky ways your home is draining your bank account.